Suspected 'squirrel pox' outbreak 'hard to take'

A SUSPECTED outbreak of squirrel pox in a Northumberland town has been described as “hard to take” by a volunteer group working to preserve red squirrels.

- DANIEL HALL

The illness, which first came to Northumberland in 1999, is fatal to red squirrels when it is passed on from their larger grey cousins.

The outbreak has been reported on Wooler Common by the Wooler Red Squirrel Group, however the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has not confirmed it.

In January, the APHA had confirmed the virus in South East Northumberland from testing one of several dead red squirrels which were reported in Cramlington and the surrounding area.

The Wooler Red Squirrel Group has since removed all feeders from Wooler Common, and they won't be put back up for several months. David Symons, a former schoolteacher who has volunteered with the group since 2017, says it is especially frustrating as the population of red squirrels has been “doing well” in the last 18 months, putting an increase in numbers down to the group’s efforts.